Here is a selection of the feedback we have received from the young people participating in the project, as well as students, carers and teachers at Victoria Education Centre who viewed the first performance:
Participant: “I liked the project and learned new things from it. I learned new styles of writing. It was challenging but my skills developed over the project. I didn’t mind people’s reactions, you get what you get.”
Participant: “I learned how to send a message through poetry. I’m misunderstood, and poetry was a good way to put that message across and a way to express myself. I was hoping to move people.”
Participant: “It is strange to share my personal thoughts. I hide a lot of my writing: I don’t know what people will think of my writing because it’s shocking and brave.”
Participant: “It explained what was inside.”
Teacher / carer: “I found the poems very moving and open. They were very personal and eye opening, like letting us into a part of your soul we’ve never seen before, lovely.”
Teacher: “I liked the repetition used in Jagdev’s, it made it come across a lot stronger.”
Carer: “It really opened up hearts. There are a lot of clever children. I liked the group poem when everyone had their own input. It was performed very well and was well thought out.”
Carer: “I’m proud to be a part of them, it was very moving.”
Student: “I thought it was very professional. Each line was the right length like they were wrote by professionals. I liked the animation put into the poems; Jude looked left and right when he said it.”
Student: “I found it personal, and felt very emotional but in a good way.”